Picnic Day
by reminiscent-afterthought
Summary: [post-epilogue] They've found a gateway to the Digital World and they can come and go as they please, and Ruki just wants to enjoy the peace and her partner's company and share it with her loved ones.
1. Happy

**A/N:** Written for the Tale in Fragments Challenge, 10 prompts List 1, prompt #01 – happy, and for the Female Character Appreciation Competition (with Ruki), both on the Digimon Fanfiction Challenges Forum (link's in my profile). This will be a ten (or maybe more)-part mini chapter (mini as in under 800 words) fic. And some fluff for once.

Enjoy. :D

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**Picnic Day  
1. Happy**

It's been a while since Ruki's been able to laugh like this, sitting in the soft mat of grass with streams of data rolling lazily overhead. Calumon is scampering between the yellow weed flowers and her lap, and the scene is just so lighthearted and amusing she can't help but laugh.

Renamon laughs as well, chucking quietly under the shadow of the she stands under. It's been a while since she's been able to smile all. It's been a while even for Calumon, whose ears had been small and droopy for so long.

But that was before Takato had found the portal, before they could come and go to the Digital World as they pleased, and vice versa. Before they could just spend time together without having to fight for the world – because they hadn't had that chance before, torn away from each other before they could enjoy the peace they'd made.

They have it now though, and the shock and breathless joy has faded away into a more quiet happiness, where they can sit and enjoy the sun together, pick those yellow weed flowers and make flower crowns from them, and count the clouds.

The only thing that's missing is being able to share this joy with the rest of the world, but Ruki is grateful to have the chance: to have Renamon, to have been a Tamer and befriended Calumon – and to think she'd hated the little guy for being cute.

She knows her mum will enjoy this scene; the sun in the Digital world is simply an amassment of data producing light: it has nothing like UV radiation or the quality of tanning skin, so complexion and health aren't problems. The only environmental issue is the data storms that sometimes arise and streams that sometimes shoot them off to different areas, but they're almost pros at navigating that now; they can more than manage.

And Renamon can fight any Digimon that attacks them, if she has to. But neither of them want to have to; the peace they're enjoying is too sweet for them to want to break it. And they don't have to either; the entire world is peaceful now, after they saved it and themselves from the D-reaper. That unity had erased the desire to constantly fight for strength.

At least, for now it has. Things could change in the future, but there's no reason to think of that in the present. Calumon brings more flowers to Ruki, tumbling in her lap with them before running off for more, and Ruki continues her flower crown, knowing how lucky she is and simply enjoying the scene.


	2. Imitate

**A/N:** Written for the Tale in Fragments Challenge, 10 prompts List 1, prompt #02 – imitate, and for the Female Character Appreciation Competition (with Ruki), both on the Digimon Fanfiction Challenges Forum (link's in my profile).

Enjoy. :D

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**Picnic Day  
2. Imitate**

Takato's puppy is trying to imitate Guilmon, which is funnier now than it was before the Digital World became accessible to them again. Maybe it's because Guilmon is now there, teaching the little puppy how to wriggle his ears. Maybe it's because _all_ of their Digimon partners are there, something that had for so long been denied to them.

And yet it hadn't even been a year since the D-reaper had been defeated. But to them the separation was long enough, potent enough, to feel like a lifetime. This, now, is the thing they'd dreamed of in that time, sitting under a tree in the park or running through the tunnels or climbing the stairs to the old hideout where the Digital Gate had appeared in the past and present.

Now it's a reality and they can only hope it won't disappear on them again. And beyond that they can smile and laugh and enjoy a peace they hadn't had before, do the things they'd never had the time, the opportunity, to do.

'What do you say we leave these boys to their thing?' Ruki doesn't look at Renamon; they understand each other like that, and the grunt of affirmation is answer enough. She looks at Juri and Shiuchon and Lopmon. Juri had been talking with Impmon before, but now the purple Digimon was playing with Takato, Guilmon and the puppy and she sat under a tree of her own. So were Terriermon, Henry, Monodromon and Ryo for that matter. Shiuchon looked like she wanted to play as well, but the boys were being unusually muddy and that didn't appeal at all.

'And go where?' Juri asks, though she's eager and curious. Ruki feels a pang as she looks at the girl; they'd gotten their partners back but Leomon was forever gone. Still, Juri doesn't begrudge them at all. She smiles, she comes along with all of them and she plays with the other Digimon. Sometimes Calumon goes home with her as well…but no-body tries to replace Leomon, or forget him. He's neither of those things.

Ruki thinks. 'Somewhere quiet,' she says. 'Is there a hot spring around here?'

That question is aimed to the Digimon, and while Renamon shrugs, Lopmon nods. 'It's over that way,' she says, pointing east. 'Not many Digimon go there, because of the lake.' And because it didn't matter to the Digimon whether the water was warm or cold or not there at all.

They agree on the hot spring and leave the boys behind, Lopmon leading the way. Shiuchon is the first into the water when they arrive, still young and excitable. But she's grown up; her lisp is gone, and she's a little taller. They've all grown up now. Juri's not keeping all her pain bottled up inside. Ruki's understanding people better now.

'How strange,' Renamon murmurs, licking her fur where the water makes it stand in odd directions. 'I'm afraid I don't see how this differs from a normal bath.'

Lopmon doesn't either, however Shiuchon is busy splashing her so she can't say so.

Ruki closes her eyes, feeling the tingling warmth spreading through her body. 'We'll have to go to a hot spring in the real world one day then,' she says.

It's actually a good idea; her grandmother's been wanting a family holiday anyway.


	3. Blossom

**A/N:** Written for the Tale in Fragments Challenge, 10 prompts List 1, prompt #03 – blossom, and for the Female Character Appreciation Competition (with Ruki), both on the Digimon Fanfiction Challenges Forum (link's in my profile).

Enjoy. :D

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**Picnic Day  
3. Blossom**

Ruki comes home with her skin a healthy flush and her eyes bright from laughter, if tired. Rumiko cannot help but smile. Seeing a child happy is always a treat for a mother, and she'd seen Ruki sad or angry too many times.

'Had fun?' she asks lightly.

'Mmm,' Ruki murmurs happily, a spring in her step. 'Let's go to the hot springs, 'kaa-san. You and me and obaa-chan and Renamon.'

Rumiko is surprised, but doesn't see anything wrong with the suggestion. She has no photo shoots the coming weekend, and a hot spring are always a nice place to relax. 'What brought this on?' she asked.

'Hmm…we haven't had a family vacation in a while.' Something Ruki hadn't cared much about in the past. 'And I want to show Renamon the hot springs of the real world.'

Rumiko couldn't help but smile at that; Renamon has been good for Ruki in more ways than she can count. She'd helped that little scrunched up bud grow into a beautiful happy flower – and Rumiko couldn't be happier. Really.

Except sometimes she wishes she could have been the one to make Ruki happy.

'kaa-san?' Ruki asks, looking at her. Her expression gives nothing away, but she knows what her mother is thinking. Unfortunately, she can do little about it; she and Renamon share something no-one else who isn't a Tamer will never understand. The Digital World was more accessible, but the desire for power was less in this newfound peace after the D-reaper. In fact, the wild Digimon did _not_ want to grow and evolve, for fear they might revive the sleeping beast.

'It's nothing.' Rumiko shakes her head. 'So what did you do in the Digital World?'

'Had a picnic.' Ruki shrugs. 'Hung out; the boys were being boys, so we girls went to the hot springs.'

'I see.' Rumiko wonders why Ruki asked for the hot springs specifically then.

'Renamon can't appreciate the Digital World ones,' Ruki explains, answering the unasked question. 'In the Digital World, what you feel is what you expect to feel.' She shrugs. 'So if you don't know how the springs usually feel, they don't feel like much. If you remember it's data and not water, you don't even get wet.'

'I see,' Rumiko says again, wondering how that would be. It sounded interesting; a hot spring would probably feel like a dream, if one had dreamt it. 'You sound like you had fun with your friends.'

'I guess.' But Ruki is grinning so it couldn't have been bad. And she's more chatty than normal. 'Which reminds me; 'kaa-san, do you want to come along some time?'

Rumiko is surprised; she's never thought about going to the Digital World, even though she knows it's possible now. It's always been her daughter's world: Ruki's, Renamon's…and her friends. Like the adults had no place in it. Like a fantasy island too far away.

But she is curious and she does want to see this place her daughter loves so much, the home of her guardian angel and best friend.

'We're going to have a busy weekend,' she says lightly. 'Which one's first?'

'Uhh…' Ruki blinks, having not thought of that. 'There's a market in the Digital World…next week?'

'Yes.' Renamon steps out of the shadows she'd been standing in all that time, and Rumiko's heart skips a little beat. She's still not used to that. 'Next Sunday.'

Rumiko has a photo shoot scheduled, but she can easily move it to Saturday. Coco will probably be happier about it; he'd been grumbling about having plans on Sunday too.

'Next Sunday it is,' Rumiko notes. 'And I'm free this weekend, so hot springs then. We can come back on Tuesday or Wednesday.'

Ruki's school is closed for the Autumn break, so they don't need to worry about that. And Rumiko's next meeting is on a Thursday, so she doesn't have to worry about that either. And Ruki's grandmother – Rumiko's mother – has no plans; they still had to ask her about the hot springs, but neither of them thought she'd mind.


	4. Fire

**A/N:** Written for the Tale in Fragments Challenge, 10 prompts List 1, prompt #04 – fire, and for the Female Character Appreciation Competition (with Ruki), both on the Digimon Fanfiction Challenges Forum (link's in my profile).

Enjoy. :D

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**Picnic Day  
4. Fire**

Their plan to visit the hot springs went ahead as planned, and Ruki couldn't even complain about the uncomfortable ride because of her excitement.

It wasn't the first time she'd been to the hot springs in the real world, though they were a rare treat. But it was the first time with Renamon, the first time since the gates have opened up again and Ruki had no sadness left to hang on to. And Renamon is a little giddy too, to find out what Ruki wants to show her.

Rumiko is excited too, because Ruki is happier, Renamon is with them and it's the makings of a perfect weekend vacation.

And it goes like that too. The mountain air is cool and Rumiko wraps her shawl a little tighter around herself as she pays the driver. Ruki has a jacket over her favourite t-shirt and is helping her grandmother. Renamon is on the other side, fur standing on end but insistent that she needs to article of clothing to keep her warm.

Ruki is looking amused, and the rest of them discover why when they hit the hot-springs. Renamon's first instinct is to yelp at the burning warmth that spreads from her toe to her ears. Ruki laughs, the sound like a chiming bell in the steam and she gestures the other in. 'No splashing though,' she warns.

Renamon grimaces at the very idea and slowly slips in.

Her body gets used to it quickly enough, and she doesn't go red like the humans. Rumiko is already fanning herself, though she is signing in contentment at the same time, and Renamon doesn't pretend to understand. It is cozy though, she confesses to herself. Not like the Digital World where everything is made out of data and can't become whatever they thought it to be.

Though she doesn't want to do this every day. Brushing her fur afterwards will be somewhat of a nightmare. But it is relaxing; it loosens her shoulders, so used to fighting and always a little tense. It teases into her fur and makes her skin curl at the warmth. It makes her ears lie down and calm.

Ruki grins at her, hair tied up in a bun instead of her usual spiked ponytail. 'What do you think?' she asked. 'Not what you imagined, right?'

'No,' Renamon agreed. 'It is a rare treat.'

Rare is right, because she can't think someone would want to do this every day. But once in a while maybe…

'It's good for the skin as well.' Rumiko slipped a little further down. 'The heat might make the skin a little red – ' She prodded her skin. ' – but it's worth it for all the cleansing and minerals we get from it.'

'Oh?' Renamon inquired politely. Ruki didn't seem interested; she had her eyes closed and was kicking about under the water. Ruki's grandmother didn't seem interested either, sitting on one of the stools in the hot spring – for those people who couldn't keep themselves afloat for long periods. Renamon thought some of the age lines were running away, becoming smoother.

Rumiko is glad for the interests and launches into an explanation that Renamon can't quite follow, lacking knowledge about the earth's minerals and the more delicate structure of their bodies. Even little things she doesn't understand, like why Juri had shrieked and slapped Kazu when he'd accidentally walked in on her changing. Like why Ruki had threatened Ryo if he even thought to peek. Why the girls always had some sort of top (even if it only covered their breasts) while the boys hung out on the beach with just their shorts.

Ruki had looked embarrassed when Renamon had asked, something amusing in itself because there were few things that could make Ruki embarrassed. But now Renamon could see a little more.

They'd accepted she was female, and maybe she was. Digimon just didn't use that classification. But they felt fine being undressed in her presence, and the steam didn't hide everything. Renamon could see the bumps in Ruki's chest, and the bigger bumps on the adults that the boys lacked.

Ruki suddenly looks up and catches her looking. She blushes hotly and sinks into the water. 'Renamon!' comes a wail soon after, partially punctuated by bubbles.

Rumiko examines her daughter as well. 'You're growing up some,' she commented, before noticing Renamon's lost expression. 'I take it Ruki hasn't explained anything about breasts to you, has she?'

The word is foreign to Renamon, but it is enough to make Ruki disappear underwater.


End file.
